Shoe-lacing



No. 749,569. PATENTBD JAN. 12, 1904..

' E. C. LUKS.

SHOE LACING..

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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(yY/l," 3516 abbot/mago@ l UNITED STATES Patented January 12, 1904.

EMIL C. LUKS, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOE-LACING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,569, dated January 12, 1904.

Application filed March 6, 1903.

. To a/ZZ whonc it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL C. LUKs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in

the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Lacings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe-lacings; and the object `of the invention is to providea means for quickly and neatly lacing shoes or other articles of wear.

The invention consists of a central tongue having a series of raised and closed eyelets or rings secured to the outer face thereof and arranged along its center and a series of loops i ure is a view of a shoe having my invention applied thereto.

The numeral l designates the body of a shoe formed with the usual tongue 2. Along the center of the tongue 2 and on its upper side I secure a plurality of raised and closed eyelets or rings 3, which are arranged in alinement. These eyelets stand between and are protected by the edges 4 of the shoe-opening when the latter are drawn toward each other `and tend to more securely hold the tongue in position to prevent the same from slipping.

`Along the edges 4 of the shoe-opening I provide loops or `rings 5 directly opposite each other, and said loops or rings are arranged so `as to stand midway between two of the rlngs 3, 'andthe numeral 6 designates an ordinary lacing-cord. This cord 6 passes alternately through one of the loops or rings 5 on the edge of the shoe-body and one of the rings 3 on the tongue, down the one side of the shoe-open- Serial No. 146,573. (No model.)

ing and up the other, the center rings 3 having the lacing-cord 6 pass through them twice, the said rings or eyelets 3 being of such a shape as to alloys7 the lacings to pass therethrough without contacting with each other. Both free ends 7 of the cord are thus brought to the top of the shoe, and the mere act of pulling on these free ends will draw the cord taut and close the entire shoe-opening at a single operation. The eyes or loops being entirely closed presents a smoother surface to the lacing-cords 7, thereby preventing any damage to the said cords, and being located on the outer face of the tongue obviates the danger of cutting or wearing the hose of the wearer, besides overcoming the disagreeable feeling of having the eyelets or loops pressed continually into the instep when laced.

When lacing is once in position, it need not be removed, for to remove the shoe the lacing need only be loosened sufficiently to open the shoe-upper. The free end 7 of the cord may, if desired, be secured by means of a suitable clip or hook 8, placed in a convenient position on the shoe.

It will be seen that the lacing-cord does not come in contact with itself at any point, thus removing the danger of wear by friction to a great extent.

The lacing is equally applicable to gloves, corsets, skirt-vents, and other articles of wear.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device of the class described comprising two members to be fastened, a tongue intermediate the members and located beneath the edgesthereof, a plurality of eyelets arranged along the adjacent edges of the members above the tongue, and a. plurality of alined, raised and closed eyelets secured to the upper face of the tongue along the central line thereof, the eyelets on the edges of the two members being arranged directly opposite and in line with each other, and the eyelets on the tongue being arranged in a staggered relation thereto and of a size as to stand between the edges of the members, whereby said eyelets are protected by the edges of the members, all of the eyelets standing out of Contact with each other when the said edges are drawn toward each other, a lacing-cord passing once through each of the eyelets on the edges of the members and twice through the eyelets on the tongue and out of Contact, and a spring-clamp carried by one of the members for engaging the free ends of the lacing. 1c In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL C. LUKS.

Witnesses:

ED. A. KELLY, ANTON MEINDL. 

